Volleyball gears up for battle with Southland leader Central Arkansas

Oct 27, 2010

The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi volleyball
team will face a big task on Thursday when they take on the Central
Arkansas Bears at the Dugan Wellness Center. UCA comes into the showdown riding a
15-match winning streak and is undefeated in Southland Conference
contests.

The Islanders come into the match with an
11-13 record overall and are 4-6 in league matches. The Bears are 21-6 on the year,
including a perfect 10-0 in conference play.

"They are a big challenge," said head coach Tony
Graystone. "They are very aggressive and well coached and they
are used to winning.

"It's a stiff test. It will be nice for us to be home
after a rough week on the road. We just have to compete and give
ourselves the best chance we can."

It will be a battle of the top two offensive
players in the league, with the Islanders Emma
Ridley leading the Southland with 3.94 in kills per set and is
second overall in kills with 331. Jessica Hays of UCA is first overall
in kills with 333 and is second in kills per set with a 3.70
average. Ridley leads both
categories in conference-only matches with 179 kills and a 4.59 per
set average. Hays ranks
fourth in kills (131) and second in average (3.74 k/s) against
league opponents.

"Central Arkansas is clearly the best
offensive team in the conference," said Graystone. "They are a lot
more than just one player; they have the two-time conference player
of the year in Chloe (Smith) and a couple of really good middle
blockers.

"They know where they like to go, but they
don't have to always go to the same person."

Other leaders for A&M - Corpus Christi
include Micah
Nolan with a team-high 375 digs and Logen
Bourque with 789 assists to pace the squad.

Central Arkansas is led in assists by Marissa
Collins with 1,041 and in digs by Hays with 254 on the year.

Before the match starts, the A&M - Corpus
Christi ROTC Color Guard will present the flags for the national
anthem. The ROTC will also be giving away a gift for all fans at
the door. The two teams will meet at 7:00 p.m. as the Islanders
try to knock off the top team in the Southland.

Live stats and video will be available by
visiting www.GoIslanders.com.